Nassar deemed ‘serial’ sex abuser
LANSING, Mich. — Once-renowned gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar listened silently as a prosecutor deemed him “possibly the most prolific serial child sex abuser in history” and a judge sentenced him to decades in prison for molesting some of the sport’s top athletes, capping an extraordinary hearing during which more than 150 women and girls described his abuse.
“I just signed your death warrant,” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar, who was sentenced Wednesday to 40 to 175 years for molesting young female athletes under the guise of giving medical treatment.
Many confronted Nassar face to face in the Michigan courtroom, describing abuse in his home, at his Michigan State University office and while he worked for the sport’s governing body, USA Gymnastics, which also trains Olympians.
“It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. You do not deserve to walk outside a prison ever again,” said Aquilina, who called his actions “precise, calculated, manipulative, devious, despicable.”
Hours later, Michigan State — which has asked the state attorney general to conduct a review of how the university handled the Nassar case — announced President Lou Anna Simon’s resignation amid mounting pressure. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s CEO announced an independent inquiry.
When the sentencing hearing ended, the courtroom broke into applause. Victims and prosecutors embraced at the conclusion of the grueling 16-month case.
But the anguish of the past week will have little, if any, practical effect on Nassar’s fate. Before serving the Michigan sentence, the 54-year-old must first serve a 60-year federal sentence for child pornography crimes. With credit for good behavior, he could complete that sentence in about 55 years. By then, he would be more than 100 years old if still alive.
He is also scheduled to be sentenced next week on more assault convictions in Eaton County, Michigan.
Prosecutor Angela Povilaitis said competitive gymnastics provided the “perfect place” for his crimes because victims saw him as a “god.”
“It takes some kind of sick perversion to not only assault a child but to do so with her parent in the room, to do so while a lineup of eager young gymnasts waited,” Povilaitis said.
She urged people to believe young victims of sexual abuse no matter who they accuse and praised journalists, including those at the Indianapolis Star. The newspaper’s 2016 investigation of how the sport’s governing body handled sexual abuse allegations against coaches prompted a former gymnast to alert the paper to Nassar.
Although Nassar’s work with gymnasts received the most attention, the allegations against him spanned more than a dozen sports over 25 years.
At one point, Nassar turned to the courtroom gallery to make a brief statement, saying that the victims’ accounts had “shaken me to my core.” He said “no words” can describe how sorry he is.
“I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days,” he said as many of his accusers wept.